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9.1 KiB
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283 lines
9.1 KiB
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:github_url: https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_uhg/src/branch/master/content/verb.rst
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.. _verb:
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Verb
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====
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Summary
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-------
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A verb is the grammatical entity that describes the subject of a
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sentence. A verb can describe either an action that the subject performs
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or the state (or condition) of the subject.
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Article
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-------
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A verb is a word in a sentence that describes either an action by the
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subject of a sentence, or the subject itself. Therefore, the verb is
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often the most important word in understanding a sentence or a clause.
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Form
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----
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In Biblical Hebrew, the root of a verb consists of three consonants,
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sometimes called the tri-literal (meaning "three letters") root. In
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"strong" verbs, the three root consonants always stay the same and are
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easy to recognize, but "weak" verbs have one or more consonants that
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disappear in certain forms.
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Verbs in Biblical Hebrew change form according to both conjugation
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(:ref:`Perfect<verb_perfect>`,
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:ref:`Imperfect<verb_imperfect>`,
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:ref:`Infinitive Absolute<infinitive_absolute>`,
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etc.) and stem formation
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(:ref:`Niphal<stem_niphal>`,
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:ref:`Hiphil<stem_hiphil>`,
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etc.). Generally speaking, changes in verb forms happen by adding
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prefixes/suffixes, by changing the vowels, or both. These changes in
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form show the
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:ref:`stem formation<stem>`
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of a verb with its conjugation, which includes the person
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(:ref:`first<person_first>`, :ref:`second<person_second>`,
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or
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:ref:`third<person_third>`),
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the gender
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(:ref:`masculine<gender_masculine>`
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or
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:ref:`feminine<gender_feminine>`),
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the number
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(:ref:`singular<number_singular>`
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or
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:ref:`plural<number_plural>`),
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and sometimes the state
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(:ref:`absolute<state_absolute>`
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or
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:ref:`construct<state_construct>`).
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The person, gender, and number of a verb always agree with the subject.
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Unlike English (but similar to other languages like Spanish), verbs in
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Biblical Hebrew do not require a separate :ref:`personal pronoun<pronoun_personal>`
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if the subject is not identified; this is because the form of the verb
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itself includes the subject. A :ref:`pronominal suffix<suffix_pronominal>`
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attached to a verb can function as its object.
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.. _verb-finite:
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Finite verbs
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~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Finite verbs are verbs that have a subject and do not require any verbal
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complement to form a complete sentence. Their form shows tense as well as person and number.
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Biblical Hebrew has 7 finite verb forms: :ref:`Perfect<verb_perfect>`, :ref:`Imperfect<verb_imperfect>`,
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:ref:`Sequential Perfect<verb_sequential_perfect>`, :ref:`Sequential Imperfect<verb_sequential_imperfect>`,
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:ref:`Imperative<verb_imperative>`, :ref:`Jussive<verb_jussive>`, and :ref:`Cohortative<verb_cohortative>`.
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.. _verb-non-finite:
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Non-finite verbs
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Properly speaking, non-finite verbs are verbal complements that require
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a finite verb to form a complete sentence. The non-finite verb forms in Biblical Hebrew include
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the :ref:`infinitive_absolute`, the :ref:`infinitive_construct`, and the participles (both
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:ref:`active <participle_active>` and :ref:`passive <participle_passive>`).
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Non-finite verbs can sometimes describe an action or an event in such a
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way that the word functions like a :ref:`noun <noun>`.
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.. note:: In Biblical Hebrew, the non-finite verb forms are sometimes used
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as finite verbs, and the imperfect form is sometimes used as a non-finite verb.
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Types
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-----
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Grammarians often distinguish between different types of verbs. When
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considering the best way to translate a sentence, it is helpful to
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understand what kind of verb is being used in any given instance.
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.. _verb-dynamic:
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Dynamic (or action) verbs
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Dynamic verbs describe a subject performing an action. The subject is
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*doing* something.
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.. csv-table:: Example: 2KI 1:5
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וַיָּשׁ֥וּבוּ הַמַּלְאָכִ֖ים אֵלָ֑יו
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**wayyashuvu** hammal'akhim 'elayw
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**And-they-returned** the-messangers to-him
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When the messengers **returned** to him
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.. csv-table:: Example: JON 1:4
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וַֽיהוָ֗ה **הֵטִ֤יל** רֽוּחַ־גְּדֹולָה֙ אֶל־הַיָּ֔ם
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wayhwah **hetil** ruah-gedowlah 'el-hayyam
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And-Yahweh **cast** wind-great on-the-sea
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But Yahweh **sent** out a great wind on the sea
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.. _verb-stative:
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Stative (or non-action) verbs
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Rather than describing a specific action, stative verbs describe the
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subject's state of being (the way the subject is). The subject is *not*
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doing anything.
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.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 48:10 –– stative verb "to be heavy"
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וְעֵינֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ **כָּבְד֣וּ** מִזֹּ֔קֶן
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we'ene yisra'el **kovdu** mizzoqen
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And-the-eyes-of Israel **were-heavy** from-age
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Now Israel's eyes **were failing** because of his age
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.. csv-table:: Example: NUM 13:33 –– stative verb "to be"
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וַנְּהִ֤י בְעֵינֵ֨ינוּ֙ כַּֽחֲגָבִ֔ים
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**wannehi** ve'enenu kahagavim
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**And-we-were** in-our-eyes like-grashoppers
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In our own sight **we were** like grasshoppers
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.. _verb-transitive:
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Transitive verbs
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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A transitive verb is a dynamic verb that requires an object that
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receives the verbal action. A sentence with a transitive verb is not
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complete without the object. Stative verbs are never transitive.
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The phrase "And they lifted up" is unclear without an object.
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They lifted up...\ *what?*, for example:
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.. csv-table:: Example: RUT 1:14
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וַתִּשֶּׂ֣נָה קֹולָ֔ן
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**wattissenah** qowlan
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**And they lifted up** their voice
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**Then they lifted up** their voices
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The phrase "[you must] keep" is unclear without an object.
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You must keep...\ *what?*, for example:
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.. csv-table:: Example: PRO 7:1
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שְׁמֹ֣ר אֲמָרָ֑י
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**shemor** 'amaray
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**keep** my-words
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**keep** my words
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.. _verb-intransitive:
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Intransitive verbs
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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An intransitive verb is a verb that does NOT require an object to
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receive the verbal action. A sentence with an intransitive verb is
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complete without an object. Dynamic verbs can be either transitive or
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intransitive, but stative verbs are always intransitive.
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.. csv-table:: Example: EXO 11:1
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וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה
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**wayyomer** yehwah 'el-mosheh
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**And-he-said** Yahweh to\_Moses
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Then Yahweh **said** to Moses
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.. csv-table:: Example: DAN 9:4
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וָֽאֶתְפַּֽלְלָ֛ה לַיהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהַ֖י
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**wa'ethpalelah** layhwah 'elohay
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**And-I-prayed** to-Yahweh my-God
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**I prayed** to Yahweh my God
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.. _verb-linking-verbs:
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Linking verbs
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Linking verbs are verbs that link two
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:ref:`noun<noun>`,
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or a noun and an
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:ref:`adjective<adjective>`.
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Hebrew has very few linking verbs, so often a linking verb has to be
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supplied in English.
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.. csv-table:: Example: RUT 2:6 –– linking verb "is", not present in the Hebrew text
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נַעֲרָ֤ה מֹֽואֲבִיָּה֙ הִ֔יא
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na'arah mow'aviyyah hi
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Young-woman Moabite she
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She **is** the young Moabite woman
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.. csv-table:: Example: 1SA 11:10 –– linking verb "seems", not present in the Hebrew text
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כְּכָל־הַטֹּ֖וב בְּעֵינֵיכֶֽם׃
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kekhol-hattowv be'enekhem
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like-all\_the-good in-your-eyes.
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whatever **seems** good to you.
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.. _verb-helping-verb:
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Helping verbs
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Helping verbs are extra verbs that "help" express the meaning of the main verb. Biblical Hebrew does not use helping verbs,
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but English does. Often, it is necessary to supply a helping verb in English to express the meaning of a Hebrew verb.
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helping verbs in questions and negations
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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The following example in English adds the helping verb "have"
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(not present in the Hebrew text):
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.. csv-table:: Example: 1SA 13:11
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מֶ֣ה עָשִׂ֑יתָ
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meh 'asitha
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What you-did?
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What **have** you done?
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The following example in English adds the helping verb "did"
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(not present in the Hebrew text):
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.. csv-table:: Example: EZR 5:5
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וְלָא־בַטִּ֣לוּ הִמֹּ֔ו
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wela-vattilu himmow
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and-not\_they-stopped them
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and they **did** not stop them
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helping verbs to express possibility or desirability
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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English uses helping verbs to express varying degrees of possiblity or
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desirability of verbs. This includes a vast range from strong
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possibility (*He **can** do this* or *He **would** do this*) to weak
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possibility (*He **might** do this* or *He **could** do this*) or from
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strong desirability (*He **should** do this* or ***Let** him do this*)
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to weak desirability (***May** he do this* or *He **wants** to do
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this*). In Biblical Hebrew, this sense of possibility or desirability is
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implied by the context and already present in the form of the verb
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itself.
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The following examples in English add the helping verb "may"
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(not present in the Hebrew text):
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.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 3:16
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מִכֹּ֥ל עֵֽץ־הַגָּ֖ן אָכֹ֥ל תֹּאכֵֽל׃
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mikkol 'ets-haggan 'akhol tokhel
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from-every tree-of\_the-garden eating you-eat
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From every tree in the garden you **may** freely eat
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.. csv-table:: JOB 38:34
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וְֽשִׁפְעַת־מַ֥יִם תְּכַסֶּֽךָּ׃
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weshif'ath-mayim tekhassekka
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and-large-amount-of\_water cover-you
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so that an abundance of rainwater **may** cover you
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